smith



G. JOHNSTON au' E. G. SMITH; AMALGAMATOR AND CONGENTRATR.

`PTO-,66.499I PatentedJuly 9, 1867.. n

iih tutte @atout ffirr GEORGE JOHNSTON AND EDWIN Gr. SMITH,l 0F AUBURN, CALIFORNIA. Letters Patent Nro'. 66,499, dated July 9, 1867.

IMPRGVED AMALGAMATOR AND GONGENTRATOB.

T0' ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be' it known that we, G nonon Jonns'ron and- EDWIN G.' SMITH, of Auburn, Placer county, State of Gnlifor; nir., have invented certain new and Auseful improvements in .Amalgamators and Concentrators; and we do hereby declare thefol'lowing description and accompanying drawings are sutieient to enable any person skilled `in the art or science to which it'most nearly appertains to make and usejour said invention or improvements Awithout further invention or experiment.

`The nature of our invention is. to provide an improved amalgamator and cqnentrator ior saving gold,

amalgam, quiolcsilver, sulphurets from sand, or the tailings or pulp from quartz-mills, wherethe specidcgravity ofthe matter to be saved is greater than that oi' the quartz, sand, or pulp from quartz-mills.

' This is accomplished by constructing a machine with `a copper plate, an endless revolving apron, or belt composed of canvas or othermaterial. The pulp, tailings,lsand, or other material operl'ated uponisdischarged into' the hopper, and by'the adjdstable slide distributed over the copper plate coated with quicksilver, where rt is deprivedof most ofits gold, quicksilvcr, or amalgams, they attaching themselves to said copper-amalgamated plate; The sand, pulp, 4and water is then distributed over the .canvas apron or belt, which revolves upward at an incline against the current. The shaking motion assists the gold, quicksilver, amalgam, sulphurets, or other heavy. material, in settling on the belt or apron. By keeping the sand or pulp loose, the water carries oii` the quartz sand, while thegold, lqvuicksilver, amalgam, sulphurets, from their greater speciiic gravity, settle on the apron, and are carriedover the upper end of the machine and deposited in the box under it.

To more -ful'lyillustrate our invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which?"` i Figure 1 is an isometrical projection. i

Figure v2, a side sectional elevation.

A alfram 'of wood, supported at each end by the vibrating arms B and 13', which are attached at their upper entreA I "tto the cross-bars C anclO. The arms B are made shorter than the arms B, so that the frame Ahas a l ation, which is rendered greater or less by moving the bars C and C' up or down in tle slots a.. Atthel'oiverpnd ofthe frameA is placed the receiving-hopper D, into which the pulverized ore is pla-ced. The size of thejdischarge opening is varied by a movable slide. E is an amalgamated copper plateyo'ver which the yorc isJdistributedas it leaves the hopper, so that any free gold contained in it may be immediately taken up. At'fthe ow u containing the plate E, is a small transverse opening,through which the pulp ed upon the revolving apron F. This apron moves up the incline over a series of supportine- 'rollers, G G, and around a larger one at the upper end, for the purpose of makingit dip into the waterin the tank' I-I, to wash oil the adhering particles, which sink to the bottom of the tank, thus leaving the blanket clean to pass around again. A cross-bar, Lis fastened-across the middle of the frame A, and passes between the guides J; One end of this bar is connected by the rod'K with a crank or other device on thevwheel'L, for the purpose of producing a constant shaking motiop, to distribute and settle the heavier particles of the ore, upon thle apron or blanket, as Well as to discharge it from the hopper and over the amalgamating plate. A rocking or permissive motion may be employed for the same purpose, but we think a shaking motion preferable. As the blanket' moves slowly up the incline, the ore upon its surface 'isgnet by a stream of water which is discharged from the box M by a series oi' jets. Thesejets are placed so as to dischargetoward the upper end ofthe blanket, and thus assist in carrying the ore ov/er, while the water is kopt from passing over with it by the roller N, whose pressure on the blanketor apron may be regulated by a tension-screw, Zw. This roller also serves to keep the blanket in place, so that it is not affected by the shaking motion. The water then runs down the incline, carrying with it all the lighter portions ofthe pulp, which are discharged from the lower cnd of the belt or apron in the form of tailings, while the valuable parts are carried over the upper end and left in the tank H. 'A thick strip of rubbor or leather, O, isfastened to each en'd ofthe belt to keep the ore from being discharged from the sides.

-B using our/improved apparatus many important advantages are gainedover simple revolving belts -or aprons and shaking or percussion-tables. In ordinary revolving belts, when no shaking motion is used, the sand, isulphurets, and gold that are deposited upon the heft will become packed together, and the valuable portiene' so entangled with the sand as not to settleto the bottom.. In such an event either inuch sand is carried over,v or, if that is washed out by ueig more water, it will carry'o much of the sulphurets,` gold, and quickemes silver. This is all obvigited by eombining'the revolving with the shaking motion, which-lios a tendency to loosen' the sonal and-,allow the heavier parts to settle to the bottom. A great advantobe is also'gained by cziusing the jets of water to be thrown in the direetioi'roi` the motion of the belt; as they assist in carrying the siilphurets over, while the water, stopped by the vroller N, returns gently :mil only carries off the lighter parts. v Having thus described our invention, we (lo not cla-im broadly n. revolving belt; -but what we do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Yatent, is.. i

Y, 1. The revolving belt or apron. F, with its raised edges O, having n4 shaking or rocking motion from sdo to sitio, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The amalga-muting-plateE, in combination with the revolving shaking-belt or apron, substontinlly as and for the purpose described.

3. The hox M, with its 'jets in the direction of the motion of the belt or pron, together with the roller N,

substantially ns and for the purpose described.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands and aflixed our seals.

GEORGE JOHNSTON, [1.. 5.] E. G. SMITH. [14s.]

Witnesses:

C. W. M. Sturm GEO. H. STRONG. 

